title: Acute myocardial infarction temporally related to betel nut chewing.
abstract: A patient with coronary artery disease suffered an acute myocardial infarction temporally related to chewing a betel nut. Alkaloids in betel nut, such as arecoline, may play a contributing role in coronary artery spasm due to parasympathomimetic effects on vessels with abnormal endothelium. Chewing betel nuts may instantly induce a high concentration of arecoline in the circulation and do harm to a chewer with a history of coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: D Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D001114:Areca; D001115:Arecoline / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy; D009754:Nuts; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D001115:Arecoline